DSPN - Devlin Sports Podcast Network
Will Winning Super Rugby Get Ruben Love an All Blacks Jersey?
08 May 2026
Transcript generated automatically by AI and may contain errors.
Chapter 1: What are the implications of Ruben Love's performance on his All Blacks selection?
I think that if teams play like it's a test match, then it's going to get reffed like it's a test match. If they're going to play like it's a track meet, referees are just going to throw up their hands and say, OK, sweet.
To me, it's just this weird thing about how can you select him to play at 13 for the All Blacks when he hasn't been playing at 13 for the Crusaders? So that's the worry.
Trust me, if someone actually punches someone, kicks someone, eye-gouges someone, we're going to see it. It's probably because most rugby scuffles that happen, there's actually nothing to see.
Welcome to the DSPN. John Walker wins the 1500 metres gold medal at the Olympic Games.
We all have won by 29 points tonight.
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And the Ruben Love question comes up every single week, obviously, Jamie. And now that there's no Roy Gard alongside Ruben Love, that's going to be fascinating to see how much more responsibility Ruben does take with the Hurricanes, with not a new halfback, but a new combination. People forget that Ruben has only played 11 games at first five for the Hurricanes.
I don't remember Mwanga Barrett or Mackenzie being spoken about in the all-black frame after 11 games at first five. Is that a fair call?
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Chapter 2: Why is the winning culture of Auckland rugby considered boring?
It gives people something to talk about, like you and I. It could happen at Eden Park. Remember there was the Nines, the NRL Nines? Didn't go across. Oh, no, it did. It was Saturday, Sunday, didn't it?
It actually went across the weekend. Yeah, you're right.
Yeah, so I think it could handle it. I think Kingsland would definitely go off for something like that. And yeah, you're right about the weather. Eden Park doesn't have a roof. But if you played it earlier in the year, when we know that it's going to be nice and warm in Auckland, it could definitely work. So there's possibilities down the track. And because it worked so well in Christchurch,
Now you've got people actively putting up their hands because while it was a bit mischievous of Carl to do that, it is rooted in truth. Like, he would want it at Eden Park. So, yeah, it's cool that people are putting their hands up already to be like, hey, we'll take that off your hands if you don't want it.
Alifusio Alipate talking to Wado Direct. Mark, Super Rugby is the best we can do at the moment. If you've got a better idea, please don't be shy to share it with us because Wado had a real crack at it. On the back of, I think, the same kind of sentiment that Mark Reason wrote a column about.
Look, it's easy to fire borax at this competition and it's easy just to throw out, oh, we should have a revamped MPC and everything else and...
but there are plenty of people that write to the podcast that messages that watch this as well who love what we're seeing at the moment and i'm one of those people actually that i'm enjoying the competition and i i know that it does need tweaking and it does need improving but it's not so broken to me that it's dead
I just wish people would make up their minds on this.
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Chapter 3: How do injuries affect Ruben Love's chances for the All Blacks?
Because a year ago, Marty, you and I were talking about how this was the greatest competition in years. This year, it's not actually that far off in terms of the actual on-field product. We've got some really compelling storylines. We've got a really interesting playoff run coming up. Yes, it's had some bad news this year with the loss of Moana.
But again, that's a story we can talk about outside of rugby. For better or worse, at least there's a narrative there. Just two weeks ago we had bloody super rounds where everyone was talking about how great it was. So you can't just go week on, week off about how you feel about this competition. I really wish people would stop talking about how you can bring back the MPC to replace it.
You can't. That just cannot be done. We can't play the NPC from February through to June because then what's going to happen in August for all of the players that New Zealand rugby contract to play? They're not going to be playing club rugby, are they? You know, there's just so many logistical problems. barriers in the way of that happening.
I think that people really, people who have a crack at Super Rugby don't actually understand the depth of fandom that actually exists. People say, oh, you know, there's no rivalries and things. It's like, well, mate, the game between the Blues and Crusaders is sold out. tomorrow night.
Like, yeah, crowds across the board could be better, but we're now deep into a generation of people, like, you know, if you were born when Super Rugby started, you're 30 now, you've got kids. You've grown up as a Hurricanes fan, as a Blues fan, as a Chiefs fan. Your kids are probably doing the same.
I just think that people are clinging on to nostalgia for a past that actually probably didn't even really exist anyway. Because if you remember back in the 90s, Martin, you know, when you and I were following EPC closely, What was the main narrative out of that?
It was boring because Auckland were winning it all the time. Well, this is the next question. OK, Fred Kelly, who's come in. When is winning boring? When Auckland dominated in the mid 80s, early 90s, it was so ho-hum there were many Aucklanders who wished they'd lose just to bring the challenge back into the game. This argument just drives me absolutely crazy.
Out of all the sports teams I follow in the world, I have never found winning boring because within an instant your team is shite and you start losing. So I just don't get with it ever. And I know that there was a time when Auckland were winning and dominating like that. We were from Wellington. God, I hated that team, man.
I loved them in all black jerseys, but I hated Zinzambrook and I hated Fitzpatrick and I hated the Wettins and I hated all of that team. But the whole point was trying to beat them. I even supported Waikato when they came up and took the shield off them once, right? I couldn't believe myself because I despised them as equally as a Wellington fan. But the winning is never boring.
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Chapter 4: What logistical challenges does Super Round face in its execution?
Why is Union so weird and awkward about televising and showing replays of these emotional moments? The commentators get all awkward. The cameras pan to fans. It's weird. Every other sport in the world dives into it. I don't know. Look, because there is no punching in the face anymore.
There's a lot of this and what we call handbags and stuff, but none of the players are actually going to swing a punch now because they know what it costs. You're off the field. It's going to cost you big time, right? So, yeah, I think you've actually got a point. Those damn communists.
They're at it again. I thought we'd beat them. Yes and no. You're right about the amount of collar grabbing and name calling that happens because that seems to be what rugby fights are. If someone actually threw a punch that connected, we're seeing it because that's massive in a game.
If you remember a couple of years ago when they brought in the 20-minute red card and it was made clear that the whole reason was because we want to make sure that there's a differentiation between accidental stuff, like when you're slipping up in a high tackle or whatever, and deliberate stuff. And Frank Lamani from the draw decided to go out and try and kill someone with a 12-6 elbow chop.
That's right, yes, yes.
Not only did that get replayed significantly, but the outcome of it, which was a split down the back of the guy's head, was all over everywhere. Trust me, if someone actually punches someone, kicks someone, eye-gouges someone, we're going to see it. It's probably because most rugby scuffles that happen, there's actually nothing to see.
All right, this is the Book of Leviticus time, and this is from C.T. Glasgow, who has just AI'd for us. Here is research from an AI prompt, and this is about driving short-term interest in sport amongst younger or distant fans, and goes through a whole lot of sports here. You can read this. It's eight or nine pages, and thank you very much for doing it, and thank you very much for AI.
Look, the sentiment's a great sentiment, and it's a huge debate at the moment about how, especially with rugby, how to keep the interest alive, and the community engagement, all of these things. They're all great ideas. It's well worth a read. I'd just like to say, I don't think that the powers that be aren't,
actually active on this at the moment it's the biggest question that New Zealand Rugby's got they put out a press release during the week about new pathways for under 18s and under 20s and things it's not something that they're sitting on and not thinking about okay so let's just make that clear everyone's got a lot of ideas and I love the fact that people are really engaged in this and talking about it now and that's half of it 10 years ago there was no conversation around this
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Chapter 5: What are the arguments for and against the current state of Super Rugby?
And under pressure with a big crowd, you out there catching the ball. There's your moment in sport. For all of us couch potato guys, you want to be the guy that catches that ball, right? I kind of enjoyed that.
Yeah, I think anything that just happens quickly that can get the crowd engaged on, say, hey, look at this guy try and do something funny. Yeah.
Well, it's like the half-court shot in basketball, isn't it?
Exactly, exactly. The other one I like is the Zorb. Basically just send a bunch of Zorbs running at each other and watching them bounce and fall over. That always gets going. I like the Kiss Cam as well. And I like the Lookalike Cam they've got in the States. Have you seen that? That is really good. No, so the Blues have been doing that this year, and they did do it in All Black Test last year.
The Lookalikes. Yeah, so... I think as long as it's short enough to keep people's attention spans and you move away from having, I mean, some of the musical performances are all right. The laser show they had at Eden Park the other week that I went to, that was pretty cool. But it's just like anything with kind of entertainment. You've kind of got to just try new things and see what works.
And if you don't like it, I mean, you can just turn around. Or if you like it, before you can go queue up for something to eat.
Queue up for some cold chips. Finally, in this batch, and then we'll go on to the last one, Broken Computer says, I'm so glad I was born in 2006. I don't know why you sent that to us, but the thing is that it doesn't matter because you can't choose anyway, mate. So what is somebody born in 2006? What are they? Gen what?
I think it's Gen L. So they're 20. 20 is Gen Y. Gen Moan.
Gen Me. Gen Complain and Get Everyone Cancelled. What else?
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